Richard Sherman: The leader of The Legion of Boom’

Thursday

Jan 30, 2014 at 11:32 AMJan 30, 2014 at 11:33 AM

By Paul A. JannaceMore Content Now

Richard Sherman is used to being called names.Sherman is a thug, a clown, a warrior, honest, brash, a trash talker, a Stanford graduate.Take your choice, because the truth is Sherman is real.You may not like it, but Sherman is not going to change.After his epic postgame interview with FOX’s Erin Andrews following the NFC Championship game, Sherman is more famous (or infamous?) than ever.“Last week I felt like I regretted just attacking a man, attacking it and taking away from my teammates,” Sherman said in front of a massive crowd of reporters at Tuesday’s Media Day at the Prudential Center. “You never want to talk down on a man to build yourself up and things like that.”In the moment, Sherman was honest about his feelings on 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree. Sherman believes he is the best cornerback in the league and Crabtree disagreed. The two went at it play after play in the NFC title game and Sherman got the last laugh.Sherman has a degree in communications (and a master’s) from Stanford and knows how to handle himself in front of a camera. While Sherman admits he went too far in ripping Crabtree in front of a national audience, he doesn’t want it to define him as a man.A situation like that could divide a team and serve as a distraction, especially when the media scrutiny is so great around the Super Bowl. In Sherman’s case, he may have actually made the Seahawks an even tighter group than they were before.“There’s no way it could divide the team,” said Seahawks coach Pete Carroll. “He’s got a great message about the way he competes and carries himself. The fact that he was seen in the competitive moment and all of that just demonstrates some of the makeup it takes to be a great player and a great performer.“You were also able to see the other end of what Richard is all about with the follow-up (interview),” added Carroll. “He’s an incredible kid and he’s only helped our team.”A strong performance in the Super Bowl, against Peyton Manning no less, might go a long way in swaying his critics, but he also realizes he has become a villain in the eyes of many.“Oh I fully understand that,” said Sherman. “I’ve fully understood that my entire life. It’s been like that, people wanting to see you fail, but you stay focused on the task at hand and you pay the price.”As Sherman held court at Media Day, the topics ranged from his postgame rant, to racism, to trying to slow down Manning and the Broncos, to what exactly is “The Legion of Boom.”“It’s a legacy, it’s a group,” said Sherman. “It’s a vast army of individuals and we have countless bodies behind us that are more than capable of doing the job.”Sherman calls Kam Chancellor “the enforcer” and “the punisher.”“The guy who sets the tone for the defense,” said Sherman.Earl Thomas, according to Sherman, is the fastest man on the field, and the most knowledgeable. Byron Maxwell just makes big play after big play, and Walter Thurmond is the master of sound, disciplined football.“I think it’s our identity and it sets a high standard,” said Sherman. “It’s a standard that I think everybody is more than capable of living up to and has.”That, of course, makes Sherman the leader of the legion, which will need its best to contain the most prolific offense in NFL history.“He’s a legend,” Sherman said, referring to Manning. “If you’re not on your A-game, we’re going to have a long day.”Even if Sherman is not the hero in the Super Bowl, the guy in the background, he is more than willing to step out of the spotlight if it means winning the sport’s ultimate prize.“I think these cameras can be around anyone,” said Sherman. “I think that what happened after the game, the situation that occurred, forced them to be around me and forced everybody’s attention, but I think I have the best teammates in the world … These cameras could be anywhere. They could be on all my teammates, and they deserve it.”Win or lose Sunday night, Sherman had a simple answer to what his expectations are for Super Bowl XLVIII: “A great show.”Being a great showman, he would know.